1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a composition (a discharge composition) that can be used for the formation of thin films of functional materials, especially for the formation of patterned films of functional materials using discharge devices, and that can stably be discharged. The invention also relates to a method for producing a uniform film (a functional film) using the composition, to a functional element, to a method for producing the functional element, to a method for producing an electro-optical device and to a method for producing electronic apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
Thin films can be produced from liquid phases by a wide variety of processes, such as by a spin coating process, a sol-gel process and a blade process. According to these processes, a composition containing a material, as a solute that is dissolved or dispersed in a solvent, is applied to a substrate, and the solvent is removed, for example, by heating, to thereby yield a functional thin film.
Such functional materials have conventionally been patterned by a photolithography process in many cases. However, the photolithography process is subject to disadvantages, such as high cost, complicated steps and large amounts of materials consumed. Accordingly, fine patterning techniques of functional materials using discharge devices, especially using ink-jet printing devices, have been examined, since such discharge devices entail low costs and simple steps. Examples of products of fine patterning of functional materials using ink-jet printing devices include: color filters (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publications No. 9-329706 and No. 11-202114) and organic EL display devices (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publications No. 7-235378, No. 10-12377 and No. 10-153967). As such discharge compositions, a composition for organic EL elements for easily patterning a thin film in a short time with high precision and for easily optimizing a film design and light-emitting characteristics is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-40358, and a discharge composition for easy and precise pattering in a short time without curving of the discharged composition or clogging is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-54270.